Stanley c



- To aZZ whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

STANLEY C. C. CURRIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWARDN. DICKERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTGMATIC CURRENT-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,414, dated February11, 1896.

Application filed May 23, 1895. Serial No. 550,328. (No model.)

Be it known that I, STANLEY C. C. CUERIE, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in AutomaticCurrent-Regulators, of which the following is a full, true, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the automaticprotection of secondary batteries during their charge and discharge soas to prevent their injury by a too rapid condition of change.

This invention is an improvement upon the invention for which I havemade application of the 20th day of February, 1895, Serial No. 539,008,and relates to a modification of said invention, by means of which I amenabled to prevent vibration or jumping of the control-magnets undercertain conditions when the currents are approaching equilibrium.

My invention will be readily understood. from the accompanying drawing,which is a diagrammatic representation of my invention.

In the drawing, A represents the secondary battery and B the dynamo forcharging the same.

0 representsa control-magnet and D a cutout magnet effecting a circuitfrom the control-magnet O.

D represents a rod expansible by heat operating lever E, havingsuspended to it plate F in the solution in tank G. Under certainconditions the current flows from the movable plate F to the fixed plateH through the solution.

9 represents an alarm-bell, operative under certain conditions.

The magnets O and D are solenoids operatin g levers K L, each makingdouble mercurial connections, as plainly shown, these connections beingso adjusted that one is made before the other is broken.

M is a switch for cutting out the dynamo.

During conditions of discharge of the battery A the operation is asfollows: The current passes through wire 1, solenoid 0, wire 2, cups 33, wire 1, cups 5 5, wire 6, wire 7, translating devices or lamps N,wire 8, to battery. In case, however, the current flowing from thebattery exceeds the permissible amount, the solenoid C operates thelever K, thereby making contact by wire 9, through cups 1O 10 and wire11, to expanding-rod D, thence by lever E to plate F, to plate H, towire 7, and so tothe battery. The action of the excess of current on therod D is to eX- pand the same, as indicated in my previo uslyreferred-toapplication, thereby increasing the resistance between plate F and plateH by moving the lever E to the left. As the lever E moves to the left,it leaves the bell-crank lever P, pivoted at O, and thereby allows thecircuit to be completed through a shuntcircuit, comprising wire 12, cups13 13, wire 14, to magnet D, which is of high resistance, and thence bywire 15 to wire 8, to battery. The effect of this is to energize themagnet or solenoid D, operating the lever L and making contact with thecups 1G 16, and thence by wire 17, through resistance 18, to the leverE. ,The resistance 18 is to be made practically equal to the resistanceof the bar D, so that when the current is shifted from the circuitembracing the bar D to a circuit embracing the resistance 18 there willbe no fluctuation in the current due to the resistance offered by thebar. As soon as the resistance between F and H is such as to reduce thecurrent in the main circuit passing through the solenoid D to thepermissible amount, the lever K again assumes its normal position, andthe current would now flow as before through contacts 3 3 and 5 5 to themain circuit, excepting for the fact that the lever P being depressedand the contacts 13 13 closed the solenoid D is energized, and thereforethe circuit is broken between the cups 5 5 and completed through cups 1616, which throws in a resistance equal to that of the rodD, and thecurrent therefore now passes by Wire 17, resistance 18, lever E, andthrough the resistance of the liquid in tank G, and so to the maincircuit.

By means of this device the current from the battery to the main circuitis compelled to pass through the liquid resistance in G, so long as theplates F H are separated beyond a determined distance, said distancebeing determined by the position and arrangement of the lever I.

By this device there can be no sudden change of the resistance in thecircuit, and thus no jumping of the lights, as would be the case it,when the plates F ll were separated considerably, the solenoid C madecontact between the cups 3 3, thereby suddenly cutting out thatresistance and again tending to energize the solenoid, thereby causing avibration of the latter.

The bell J, with suitable battery, might be operated through wirelthcontaet-point 20 and wire 21 as soon as the lever E was moved to theleft. This, of course, is not essential.

Instead of the solenoids, magnets might be used in some cases. In allcases, however, it is essential that the levers shall be released by aless current than is required to actuate them into their downwardposition. For illustration, supposing one hundred amperes to be thenmxinium permissible current, and that one hundred and five amperes aresut'ticient to draw down the lever K, immediately the contacts 3 arebroken and the contacts 10 10 made, the resistance of the circuitthrough D and h and G will reduce the current to, say, one hundredampercs. It the lever K should fall back at this point, it would vibraterapidly, making and breaking the circuit. The resistance and weights \v'\V, respectively, must be so arranged that the plates have time toseparate before the armature is again released. Such adjustment is.readily made on magnets by determining the distance of the armature"from the magnet at the commencement and end of the stroke. Upon thegradual return of the plate F to proximity with the plate II, providedthe resistance is increased in the circuit, it operates, in the firstplace, to release the lever K, still forcing the current to pass throughthe lever E and the tank G, and finally releases the lever L, when thelever E has returned to its normal position, which then breaks thecircuit through the solenoid D. \Vhen, however, the minimum of theresistance in the tank G is reached and contact broken between 13 1S andmade between 5 5, the current then passes by the wire (5 throughresistance 22, which is made equal to the minimum of the liquid forasimilar reason as that specified in relation to the resistance 1.8, sothat there is no sudden variatioii in the current by this change of thecircuit.

The conditions of charge are essentially the samethat is to say, in casethe switch M is closed and the dynamo operated, it' an excess of currentwere being forced through the battery A, the solenoid would againoperate and force the chargingcurrent to pass through the resistance ofthe liquid, which operation will be readily understood from the previousexplanation.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination with an electric circuit, of a source of electricenergy A, a controlamlgnet 0, a variable resistance G, an cxpansilfleapparatl'is l) operated byhcat controlling the resistance G, and asecond control-magnet.l) breakiilg the direct circuit from the magnet Oto line when the resistance G has been increasedtoadeterminedamount,substantially as described.

2. The combination with an electric circuit, of the battery A,control-magnet expansiblc rod 1), resistanee-chaml er G, control-magnetD, and the circuits shown whereby the operation of the magnet .l) cutsthe direct circuit from the battery A to the line and forces the same toHow through the resistance (l, substantially as described.

I). The combination with an electric ci reu it, of the battery A,control-magnet C, expansible red I), variable resistance G, the lever l,actuated by the expansion of. the rod 1), and the second control-magnetD, said magnet I) breaking the direct circuit through the magnet 0 tothe line whenthe rod D has expaiuled, substantially as described.

i. The combination wi ththe expanding rod D, and the resistance G of thebattery A and magnet 0, provided with a double circuit and 11, thecircuit 11 connecting with the expandingrod ID operating the resistanceG, and the circuit 2 being provided with a resistance 22 practicallyequivalent to the minimum resistance of the resistance G between, themagnet C and the line, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the battery A, con trol-magnct C, expanding rod1), resistance G, and the second control-magnet D and the resistances 1Sand and the circuits shown, whereby the vibration of the apparatus iseontrolled, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence oi. two subscribing witnesses.

STANLEY C. U. CUR-R1111.

\Vitnesses:

ANTHONY Gear, 1[. COUTANT.

